Ments



. J. H. REID.

PROCESS 0F PRODUCl-NGAND SECURING PRODUCTS FROM LIGNITE. APPLICATIONFlyin 1AN.27. 1914. RENEwzn APR. le, 192|.

1,403,633. Patented Jan.,17, 1922.

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JAMES HENRY REID, OF NEWARK, NEw JERSEY, ASSIGNOE, BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, To TNTEENATIONALINITEOGEN COMPANY, A CORPORATION OE DELA- WARE.

PROCESS or PEODUCTNG Nn SECURING PRODUCTS FROM LTGNTTE.

" specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

Original application led March 15, 1913, Serial No. 754,461. Divided andthis application filed January v 27, 1914, Serial No. 814,643. RenewedApril 16, 1921. Serial No. 461,919.

AMulberry Avenue, inthe city of Newark,

county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Processes of Producing and Securing Products fromLignite, of which the following is a specification, being a division ofU. S. patent application, Serial Number 754,461, ined-Merch 15th, 1913.

This inventionrelates to a process for the production, distillation orsublimation by direct, fractional, destructive,l or other means, k'ofhydrocarbons and production of products from residues and has for one ofits objects the securing of the products of fractional or destructivedistillation of hydro'- ca'rbons, such as lignite, coal tar, .or othersubstance capable of yielding carbon by the action of heat and themaking (of products with what would be the non-volatile carbonaceousresidues during the process of operating the process, such as calciumcarbide, whichmay be obtained by mixing calcium oxycompounds, such ascalcium oxide or substances capable of forming the same such as calciumcarbonate, with lignite and subjecting the mixture to the action ofelectricity as hereinafter set forth, and comprises specificallyexposing lignite to the action of electricity of sufficient volume andintensity to operate against the resistance of the Substance employedand produce a teme perature suicient to evolve the product desired, orsubjected to the action Of electricityl of progressively varyingcharacter so that varying degrees of temperature may be generated withinthe'chaige and various products evolved and secured, such as the sepalrate constituents of coal tar, viz., benzene,

' toluene, xylene,

etc., instead of a tar per se,

or the whole of the products may be driven off as a compositecomposition and the con--n stituents recovered thereafter by fractionaldistillation.

As an illustration of the'invention and the manner in which it may beperformed the production of tar and other ingredients or substancesevolved by the destructive and other distillation of lignite Atogetherwith the production of carbide, such as calcium carbide, will be taken,reference being diceptacle 2 provided with a lining 3 and supported bythe support 4 by means of the trunnions 5 and 6 the said support 4 beingprovided with the roller bearing and shaft 7 restlng on the track 8whereby it may be rolled into position and therefrom after the materialsin the receptacle 4 have been acted upon or converted. The receptacle 2is provided with a top or cover 9 through which pass the electrodes 10and 11 which are supported by the supports 12 and 13 through theinsulation guides14 and 15, the said electrodes passing through thecover 9 and provided with the insulation, sleeves 1G and 17 from thecover extends the outlet 18 provided with the iuid seal 19 and therevolving damper 20'. The upper section or cover 9 is also provided witha sealed feed inlet 21 the removable seal of which may be removed andreplaced while Supplying ingredients to the apparatus and closed duringthe operation thereof. The lower section 2' and the upper section 9 aresecured to each other by means of the screw clamps 22 and 23. The uppersection 9 of the converter is provided with a means 24 for providing anelectrical connection to the convertor opposite to that of theelectrodes 10 and 11 and which means is of attachable anddetachablenature. The outlet 18with its uid' Seal 19 communicates with aremovable conduit 25. operating through the swinging joint 26. Thisconduit communicates with an outlet 27 leading to the reservoir andthrough which the condensed volatile products pass to the same, thereservoir 28 being provided with an outlet 29 for the permanent gasesand whereby the said gases are conveyed to a reservoir (not shown.) Thereservoir 28 for the distillates is provided with the outlet 31controlled by the valve 33 at the lower part thereof the outlet 30controlled by valve 32 ,at a higher point for removal of lighterproducts when the reservoir contains water.

- pounds of bituminous coal to 130 pounds of calcium oxide (pulverized)are thoroughly mixed and introduced into the receptacle 2 through theopeningv 21, it is advisable to mix with this composition about 5% ofpowdered coke in order to reduce the initial resistance and providea.means for starting the tricity passed through the mixture from theelectrode 10 and 11to the receptacle 2 by means of said electrodes andthe lcontact 24' 0f the apparatus. As the current passesa through themixture of lignite and lime the heat generated by the resistance of theingredients causes the evolution and distillation of various volatileproducts which condense and accumulate in reservoir 28 from which theymay be recovered and the different ingredients afterward secured byfractional distillation or the electric current may be so regulated thateach individual volatile ingredient produced by the de.

structive distillation of the hydrocarbon in the converter 2 may beindividually and separately secured during the process of destructivedistillation, the temperature being regulated by movinglthe electrodesthrough the insulating sleeves 16 and 17. When all the volatile productshave been distilled off the residual non-volatile carbo naceous matterassociated with the lime is heated to a high degree through the passageof electricity and thereby converted into calcium carbide which isfinally removed from the receptacle 2 by removing the clamps 22 and 23and the cover 9 with its electrodes and inverting the receptacle on itstrunnions 5 and 6, the apparatus being removed from the position on thetracks 8 and a new apparatus rolled into position and the cover 9attached and operations performed as before. The outlet 18 as providedwith a damper 20 Which may be regulated by revolution to suitablyy checkthe outflow of volatile products evolved during the process ofoperation, the conduit 25 may be raised and disconnected from the liuidseal device 19 which seal is preferably maintained by means of a lowfusible metal.

By exposing the solid hydrocarbon, such as lignite to the action ofcontrolled electric fcurrents, the internal resistance will produceinternal heat so that the substance Will be transformed throughout in aregular and complete manner and Will yield a larger percentage ofproducts of more uniform character than in processes devised hereto,so`that the lighter hydrocarbons are not disrupted or cracked and suchcompounds as ammonia are more largely produced and secured withoutdecomposition.

The non-volatile carbonaceous residue remaining after the evolution ofthe more volatile and less carbon-containing products produced comprisesvery heavy. hydrocarbon which reacts with the metal oxycompound, such ascalcium'carbo'n'ate or oxide at elevated temperatures and producescalcium carbide directly from the coked lime which is bonded with and bythe heavy noni volatile hydrocarbon. A

Other metal oxycompounds may be em.

any nonmetall oxycompound a carbide of which 1s desired, such as silicafor producing silicon carbide, or so called carborundum may be produced.

The metal oxycompound may be a metal oxide, such as calcium oxide, 'or`substance capable of forming or yielding the same by the action of heat,such as calcium carbonate.

The hydrocarbons which may be employed are of the solid variety underordinary atmosphere conditions and preferably of the mineral species, orsubstances derived therefrom, such as lignite, cannel coal, asphalt, orother solid mineral'of organic origin.

The various volatile products produced by the action of electricitythrough the electrical resistance of the carbon-yielding substancesope-rated on may be produced and collected as a composite compositionand separated from each other by subsequent fractional distillation orveach may be secured as it ,-is produced by maintaining the electricalcondition necessary and capable of producing incense metal and non-metalcarbide may be produced.

The term carbide employed herein is intended to include and does includebroadly any non-volatile carbide of a metal or nonmetal which may beproduced by the action of solid hydrocarbon and electricity on acompound of such metal or non-metal a carbide of which is desired, asherein set forth.

:By inducing internal heat by electrical action, a more perfect andcontrolled transformation of the material acted upon into the productsdesired may be accomplished, and the character of the product uniformlymaintained without contamination, and also the yield of any individualproduct desired increased over that secured by any of the means of theprior art, which depends upon the application or employment ofexternally applied heat for bringing about the destructive distillationand ractional separation of similar carbonaceous substances and theproduction oit similar products.

As the conductivity of the mass acted upon increases by reason of theincreasing non# volatile carbon residue, the electrical current iscorrespondingly regulated to maintain a uniform and desired temperature.ductivity of the initial charge may be augmented by associating thecarbonaceous materialto be acted upon with coke or other more conductivesubstances, to facilitate the starting of the operation by inducinginternal heat, throughout the mass, whereby transformation and evolutionof volatile products may be obtained in the interior in an outwarddirection, thereby enhancing the porosity of the material and dischargedi volatile products produced without decomposition. l

Suitable ltluxes may also be associated with The con-` the ingredientsso that where the carbide is to be formed the fluxes may facilitatel thefusion, reduction, carbonization, and manipulation of the metal, acarbide of which is desired, such as clay, or aluminum silica-te ordouble silicates such as feldspar, when calcium carbide is to be made.

Having now described my invention what l claim as new and desire tosecure by laetters lDatent is l. The process of making fluidhydrocarbon, which comprises exposing lignite, while associated with ametal Oxy-compound resister, to successive stages of heat inducedtherein by integral resistance therethrough tov a current of electricityso varying in character as to successively yield products ofprogressively increasing carbon content, subjecting the lignite andmetal oXy-com pound to selective electrical action until any or eachdesired product is successively evolved, and finally securing suchproduct.

2. The process of'vmaking Huid hydrocarbon, whichv comprises exposinglignite, while associated .with a calcium Oxy-compound resister, tosuccessive stages of heat induced therein by integral resistancetherethrough to a current of electricity so varying in character as tosuccessively yield products or' progressively increasing carbon content,subjecting t-he lignite and 'calcium cry-compound "to selectiveelectrical action until any or each desired product is successivelyevolved, and finally securing such products.

in testimony wliereoi1 ll ax my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES HENRY RlElD. [n s] Witnesses:

@L W., Pronnnine, F. la. Wnonrnnn.

